The MSBA: Making Business Approachable for Non-Business Majors

Maria Notarianni, MSBA '17, shares her views on how the MSBA degree makes business approach for those with little to no business background.

I recently graduated from Catholic University with a degree in Media and Communication Studies. While the degree suggests a concentration in the media, it would be an injustice to the major to say that it encapsulates only the media. The biggest lessons I learned from the Media and Communication Studies Department are:

• To understand someone, you must understand their ideologies.
• Syntactic and paradigmatic choices say as much as the thought itself.

The Master of Science and Business Analysis program is so wonderful because they naturally complement your undergraduate degree with practical business skills. The program closely works with students to help us understand our own interests and realize them in our careers. The program also does an exceptional job making business approachable for those with non-business degrees. They firmly believe that everyone has an aptitude to learn the curriculum, and that by helping each other, we will all benefit. The program has taught me a lot, but two of the most important lessons are:

• Teamwork is the cornerstone to success.
• Skills can always be learned, but the right attitude is required immediately.

While the curriculum differs, the two programs work together well. My team and I have recently started our field team study project, and I believe that there are a few skills my programs have taught me. The key to our success will be having:

• Good communication
•  Empathy 
• An open mind

What these skills amount to is an understanding of my teammates—both those I am working with and for. By taking the time to understand each other, we will all be able to highlight both our own strengths and each others. Just as important, we will be able to understand precisely what our mission is by understanding our client and her values. The field team study introduces new experiences for my teammates and I, but our backgrounds have given us the skills to confidently work on and create value for our project.